Page 28 of Fearless
“My apologies, Mr. Cavenaugh. It’s been a long day. I’m Agent Simms, and this is Agent Monroe,” he says, gesturing to the tall man next to him. They are both over six feet tall and have dark hair, but Agent Monroe is pushing at least six and a half feet.
Carter and Leanna left shortly after Leanna came out of the bathroom, and once we had a plan in place, Savannah, Patrick, and Jerry disconnected. Ethan and Ben are still connected to the video conference, even though hours have passed. Jessie and Elijah also stayed with Harper and me, waiting and watching as everything unfolded.
“You’re absolutely right. It has been a long day, and we could use some sleep. What can I do for the two of you at,” I glance at my watch, “5:12 in the morning?”
Agent Simms opens up his laptop and sets it on the kitchen counter. Director Whitman’s haggard face soon appears on the screen. “Agent Cavenaugh, it’s been a while.” When Harper comes and stands beside me, Whitman frowns. “Agent Finnegan.”
“Director,” she replies.
“Say ‘Hi’ to Marshmallow for me!” Jessie shouts from behind me. She always thought Marshall Whitman was a cream puff and resorted to calling him “Marshmallow” or “Marshy” behind his back. Now that she no longer works for the FBI, she doesn’t care if she says it to his face.
Whitman scowls, but there is a teasing glint in his eye. “I see Jessica Andrews is with you. Only she could come up with a nickname like that.”
“It’s a term of endearment,” she says, joining us so that she, too, can fit in the frame. She waves and blows him a kiss. Surprisingly, he smiles, but it slowly disappears from his face.
“Ethan said you had footage of a package being delivered that contained U-235, yet my agents found absolutely nothing on the boat.”
Ethan speaks up. “That’s because it was stolen.”
Whitman scowls while looking around for Ethan. I point to the television screen. “And you didn’t think that was pertinent information to share before I had my agents tear apart the vessel?”
“You told us to stand down and let you handle the investigation,” Ethan tells him. “You can’t have it both ways, Marshall.”
“I can, Ethan. If you have information that affects national security and is part of an ongoing investigation but refuse to share it, I can charge you with obstruction and destroy your company.”
“Do you have a warrant? Do you have proof that we have vital information?” Ethan asks, playing a dangerous game.
“I thought we were on the same team,” Whitman says, changing his tactics.
Ethan’s face remains blank. “So did I. Look, we’ll share what we have under the condition you keep us on this case. Our main goal is to find Robert and Eloise, and that hasn’t changed. The FBI can have all the credit when arrests need to be made, but you need our help. We can keep this low profile, but if you have a bunch of agents running around and word gets out, panic will spread. You’ll have a much bigger problem to deal with, and no one wants that.”
Whitman thinks about it. “Fine. You have a deal. You have full authorization to continue your investigation as long as you share all the information with me. In turn, I’ll do the same.”
Ben hits a button on his computer. “The video footage of the theft is in your inbox, Director.”
We wait as he reviews the contents and then tell him about the four agents who stole the uranium. Whitman pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes his head. “A deal’s a deal. I haven’t been forthcoming with you all because of your relationship with Deputy Director Robert Finnegan. I know you’re close, so what I’m about to tell you may come as a shock.”
Harper sucks in a deep breath as she waits for Whitman to continue. “Everything I shared with you regarding our findings is true. We found blood from both Robert Finnegan and Sergio Alvarez, who, as you know, is the new leader of The Demon Kings. However, we do not believe that Finnegan is being held against his will, as I previously told you. We believe that he is working with Sergio, and that’s why they have both disappeared. He has recruited several agents to work with him, including Ackerman, Walsh, Henrickson, and Zurkowski.”
“You have to be mistaken,” I say. “RobertFinnegan would never betray his country.”
“I wish I were,” Whitman replies. “The footage you captured further proves it.”
“We checked Finnegan’s financials, and there’s nothing that would indicate he’s capable of funding this kind of operation,” Jessie says, unable to believe what Whitman is saying.
Whitman frowns. “Then you don’t know about his offshore account? I thought you would have discovered that by now.”
“We didn’t have a need to search for one. We thought he and Eloise had been captured by The Demon Kings, not part of a terrorist plot,” Ethan says, shaking his head to clear the idea of Finnegan being a traitor from his mind.
Harper has heard enough and slashes her hand through the air. “I don’t care what you think. I don’t care what you say. My parents are not terrorists!”
Chapter fifteen
Harper
Unable to listen to Director Whitman accuse my parents of turning traitor, I leave the room and throw myself on the king-size bed. I want to scream into my pillow and pound my fists against the mattress. Instead, I just stare at the ceiling, fight back the tears, and get my emotions under control.
A few minutes later, the sound of the front door opening and closing resonates throughout the cabana, and the muted voices on the other side of the bedroom disappear. There’s a light knock, and then Roger asks, “Harper, may I come in?”
